Self-attaching button



(No Model.)

' N. D. INGRAM.

SELF ATTAGHING BUTTON.

Patented Oct. 19, 1897.

PETERQLQ, mom-uma. wasnmm'on. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN D. INGRAM, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCOVILLMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF W'ATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

SELF-ATTACHING BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591 ,973, dated October19, 1897. Application filed ma 12,1894. Serial No; 510,988. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: taken at right angles to the View, Fig. 1.Fig.

Be it known that I, NATHAN D. INGRAM, a 3 is a sectional elevationshowing the attachcitizen of the United States, residing at Holingdevice turned a quarter around to effect yoke, in the county of Hampdenand State disengagement with the spring. Fig. 4 is a 5 of Massachusetts,have invented a certain plan view of the head of the button with the newand useful Improvement in Self-Attachface-plate removed. Fig. 5 .showsthe various ing Buttons, of which the following is a full, parts of mybutton disassembled, the plates clear, and exact description. of thebutton-head being shown in section;

This invention relates to whatIhave termed and Fig. 6 is an elevation ofa tack or attach- ID a self-attaching button that is to say, a ingdevice having a continuous circumferenbutton for practically permanentattachment tial groove. to garments, wherein the button-head and its Theface-plate CL of the head and the back attaching device are made asseparate parts plate b may be of metal, constructed and and theattaching device secured to the head united in any usual manner, and thebase or I 5 in a more or less permanent manner, without back plate isprovided with an opening 0.

the necessity of employing tools or impled is a coiled spring, with itscoils normally ments for effecting the engagement of the set to act bytheir expansion. This spring is head and its attaching device. providedwith ends d cl, which extend over In carrying out my invention, I use abutbetween the parallel flanges of the face and 20 ton-head of anysuitable construction having back plates, so as to hold the coiledportion an opening in its back for the entrance of the upright and inline with the opening 0; but fastening medium and provided with a cavityobviously other provision may be made for for the reception of a coiledspring whose holding the coiled spring in position thus. coils straddlesaid opening, and for an'at- The fastening or attaching device is a 25taching device I use a pointed and grooved pointed tack e, having thehead e and the tack, the point of which is forced in between wedge-likepoint 6 and at theibase of this the coils of the spring until its grooveor point the tack is provided on opposite sides grooves comes or comeinto engagement with with grooves 6 or instead of parallel grooves thecoils of the spring, in such manner that a single groove 6 may beextended entirely 30 the coils of the spring by their engagement aroundthe tack, as shown in Fig. 6. with such groove or grooves will efiect amore In order to apply my button to a garment, or less permanentengagement of the head the tack c is forced through the material of andits attaching device. the garment, and its point caused to enter in Inone form of my invention, the grooves between the coils of the spring,and when the 35 are so made that the head may be separated point of thetack has passed up between these from the attaching device, and inanother coils until its grooves come opposite the lower form suchseparation for all practical purlimbs of the coils, the contractileforce or poses is impossible or very difficult of achievetension of thespring will cause its said lower inent. limbs to snap into said grooves,turning the 0 Having thus stated the principle of my intack if this benecessary to this end, and thus 0 vention, I will proceed now todescribe the securely unite the head and the tack or fasbest mode inwhich I have contemplated aptening device and effect apracticallypermaplying that principle, and then will particunent and entirelysecure engagement of the larly point out and distinctly claim the part,head and tack. f 45 improvement, or combination which I claim The shankof the button-head is conical or 5 as my invention. tapering, andsincethe strain put upon the In the accompanying drawings, illustratingbutton-head and communicated to the tack my invention, in the severalViews of which will tend to draw the coils of the spring down likepartsare similarly designated, Figure l is into this conical, or taperingshank, it follows 5 asectional elevation. Fig. 2 is asimilarview thatthe coils will be pressed together and too against the tack and therebythe coils will be the more securely bound about and grip the said tack.

, In case it is desired to detach the buttonhead from its fasteningdevice, one or the other of these devices will be held against rotation,and the other will be given a quarter-turn, so as to spread apart thecoils of the spring, and thus free the grooves from engagement with saidcoils, as indicated in Fig. 3, and then the head and attaching devicemay be separated. Of course, in the use of the tack shown in Fig. 6,where a continuous groove 6 is employed, the button-head .is designed tobe permanently attached to the said fastening device and may be removedtherefrom only with difficulty.

As is obvious, buttons constructed in accordance with this invention maybe assembled upon garments Without the use of special tools, the tacknot requiring to be upset at its point or otherwise defaced to effectengagement of the tack and the button-head.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A self-attaching button, comprising a button-headhaving an opening in its back for the entrance of the point of thefastening medium and provided with a cavity adjacent to such opening,and a coiled spring arranged on edge or upright within such cavity withits coils straddling such opening to permit the entrance of the point ofthe fastening medium between such coils to be engaged by such coils, andconstructed and arranged tobe engaged by and held in place between theface and back of the button-head, combined with a fastening medium, suchas a pointed and grooved tack, substantially as described.

2. A self-attaching button comprising a head, having a tack-receivingopening in its base or back plate, and a coiled spring having its coilsarranged upright in a cavity in said head and straddling said opening,and provided with laterally-extended anchoring arms or portions engagedbetween the face and back of the head, and a pointed and groovedattaching device adapted to be forced between the coils of the springand to be engaged in its grooved portion by the coils of said spring,substantially as described.

3; A self -attaching button comprising a head, having a conical ortapering shank, provided with an opening, a coiled spring, having itscoils arranged upright within said conical shank between the face andback of the button and in line with said opening, and an attachingdevice adapted to be passed into said opening and forced in between thecoils of the spring and to be engaged by the said coils, the conical ortapering shank of the head serving to tighten the grip of the coil uponthe attaching device as strain is put upon the attaching device,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of May, A.D. 1894.

NATHAN D. INGRAM.

IVitnesses:

R. B. JoHNsoN, LoUIs S. AYER.

